New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; large rounded bright purple-colored flowers that are positioned above and beyond the foliage; and medium green-colored leaves.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new compact Impatiens cultivars that flowerrelatively early and have large rounded flowers with attractive flowercolor.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor in May,1997 of the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Danharltpl’, not patented, asthe female, or seed parent, with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar‘Celebrette Hot Rose’, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. Thecultivar ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’ was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in acontrolled environment in Moncarapacho, Portugal in March, 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inMoncarapacho, Portugal, sinch March, 1998, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’ as a newand distinct Impatiens cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading, rounded and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.

3. Large rounded bright purple-colored flowers that are positioned aboveand beyond the foliage.

4. Medium green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar ‘Danharltpl’. In side-by-side comparisons conductedby the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar ‘Danharltpl’ in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are not as vigorous as plants of thecultivar ‘Danharltpl’.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens have slightly smaller leaves than plantsof the cultivar ‘Danharltpl’.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is bright purple whereasflower color of plants of the cultivar ‘Danharltpl’ is red purple.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the newImpatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’ inthe following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens have larger flowers than plants of thecultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’.

2. Leaf color of plants of the new Impatiens is darker green than leafcolor of plants of the cultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is bright purple whereasflower color of plants of the cultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’ is redpurple.

Plants of the new Impatiens are similar to plants of the cultivar‘Danharpl’, not patented, in flower color. However, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants ofthe new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Danharpl’ in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens are shorter, broader and have shorterinternodes than plants of the cultivar ‘Danharpl’.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens have longer leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Danharpl’.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is slightly lighter andmore blue than flower color of plants of the cultivar ‘Danharpl’.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are flat whereas flowers ofplants of the cultivar ‘Danharpl’ are cupped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’ grown in a 12-cm container about 10 to 11weeks after planting a young rooted plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, water status and/or fertility level, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown inHillscheid, Germany, under commercial practice in a glass-coveredgreenhouse. Rooted young plants were planted in 12-cm containers in lateFebruary and the following observations and measurements were takenabout 10 to 11 weeks later. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 18 to 24° C. and night temperatures were about18° C. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Commercial classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar ‘FisnicsFuchsine’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Danharltpl’, not patented.

Male parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Celebrette Hot Rose’, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 8 to 9 days at 24° C. Winter:About 10 days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 15 days at 24° C.Winter: About 18 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, and freely branching; 158D incolor.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Outwardly spreading, low, rounded and uniformlymounded plant growth habit; dense and bushy; freely branching andflowering habit.

Crop time.—From a rooted cutting, about 8 to 9 weeks are required toproduce finished flowering plants in 12-cm containers.

Plant height.—About 11.5 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 33.6 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 9 to 11. Length: About 9.75cm. Diameter: About 8.5 mm. Internode length: About 3.5 cm. Color: Closeto 146A overlain with close to 185A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Primarily in whorls. Length: About12.8 cm. Width: About 4.3 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute to acuminate.Base: Acute. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture: Smooth,occasionally weakly rugose, glabrous. Color: Young foliage, uppersurface: 137B to 137C. Young foliage, lower surface: 139C with randomspots, 185B to 185C. Mature foliage, upper surface: 137A to 137B. Maturefoliage, lower surface: 139C with random spots, 185B to 185C. Venation,upper surface: 53D to lighter than 53D. Venation, lower surface: 53D.Petiole: Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2.75 mm. Color: Uppersurface: 51A. Lower surface: 53D to 51A.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single and large rounded brightpurple-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering; usually about8 to 9 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positionedabove and beyond the foliage and typically face upward or outward.Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about 7 to 10 days on the plant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions; in the garden,flowering from spring until fall. Plants begin flowering about 8 to 9weeks after planting.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 57D to 58B.

Flower length.—About 7.8 cm.

Flower width.—About 7.2 cm.

Flower depth.—About 7.5 mm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner petal:About 2.9 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.2 cm. Width: Bannerpetal: About 5 cm. Lateral and base petals: About 3.9 cm. Shape: Roughlycordate. Apex: Emarginate, lobed. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture: Smooth; satiny. Color: When opening, uppersurface: 74B. When opening, lower surface: 58B. Fully opened, uppersurface: 74B; color fades to 74C with subsequent development; eye zone,white, close to 155D. Fully opened, lower surface: 58B.

Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: About 6.25 cm. Diameter: Atapex: About 0.5 mm. At flower: About 3 mm. Aspect: Curved downward.Color: 57C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2.25 mm. Strength:Strong, flexible. Color: Mostly 143C; occasionally slight reddish, closeto 185A, infusion.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,hooded; filiments free. Anther length: About 7 mm. Anther shape:Obovate. Anther color: 57C to 57D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollencolor: 8D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:About 5.5 mm. Stigma color: 66C. Ovary: Five-celled. Ovary color:Immature, 137A; mature, 187A.

Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘Fisnics Fuchsine’, as illustrated and described.